If you are reading this you have considered cycling specific shoes at one time or another. There are certainly many benefits to using them but there are also a few downsides depending on your activity. We will take a few moments to walk you thru some of the options that are out there and give you a few reasons to take a look.

We will first list the benefits of going with a cycling specific shoe :

Comfort while riding - Cycling specific shoes are designed to make contact with the pedal and thus have stiffer soles than shoes you would be walking around town in. This makes it so that you will not feel the pedal thru the sole which is one problem with wearing sneakers while riding. The stiff sole that cycling shoes offer helps with power transfer and overall comfort while on the bike.

Better Power Transfer - With the stiffer sole that these shoes will offer comes better power transfer to the crank thru the pedal. Basically all the energy is not lost or absorbed in a soft squishy sole. With a stiff sole and clipless pedals, you get the ability to not only push but pull as well which increases power transfer and pedaling efficiency.

Allows for clipless pedal use - If you want to be clipped into your pedals you will need a shoe that will accept a clipless pedal cleat. Cycling specific shoes will give you two main options to use a clipless pedal. Both Mountain and Road clipless pedals will require a cycling specific shoe.

The main downside is :

Cycling specific shoes can be harder to walk in depending on what style you get. Mountain style shoes are much more walkable but if you get a road shoe you will be waddling like a duck in them.

Once you make the decision to go with cycling shoes make sure you get them sized correctly. You generally do not fit them like running shoes as you want them to be a big more snug. Also consider clipless pedals if you do go this route. Road shoes will require a clipless pedal to be used as all are designed to take a cleat and not designed to ride on a flat pedal. Mountain shoes can be used on flat pedals but will give the options to use with a clipless pedal as well.

If you have any more questions let CrimsonBikes help you find a shoe that fits your needs.